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No More Storage Limits: M.2 Adapter for Apple's M1 MacBooks [video]

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Re: No More Storage Limits: M.2 Adapter for Apple's M1 MacBooks [video]

#21

Post by gtvwill »

godelski wrote: post #16
MatekCopatek wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They don't want to "go green", they want to maximize profits, as any other corporation. They just need to have a good enough reputation to make sure environmentally-conscious people don't boycott their products. Anything more than that would have a negative effect on their bottom line, so you can be sure they're not going to do it. Small companies like Framework and Fairphone proved that you can make very repairable…

> They just need to have a good enough reputation to make sure environmentally-conscious people don't boycott their products. And what do you think happens when people spread messages like mine? Change the tides and they follow. It isn't futile because as you said, they need enough reputation. They don't want the negative effect on their bottom line. So maybe instead of "correcting" me, push it too. They seem to bene…

Lol you talk the talk but don't walk the walk. You said it yourself, you might tell people they aren't green but you still mostly use their products. This is what most folks do. They say their all for the green movement, but they don't actually live up to it and try and brush the action side off to someone else. It's like nimbyism but for tech.

What's more important? Your perceived personal privacy benefits or the future of the planet? At the moment your living for you and not for the future.

Re: No More Storage Limits: M.2 Adapter for Apple's M1 MacBooks [video]

#22

Post by simondotau »

FlyingAvatar wrote: post #15
simondotau wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, the storage is worse, because there’s no reason why they couldn’t include a standard 2230 M.2 slot on all their motherboards, for anyone who wanted to upgrade. The fixed RAM is annoying, but is done to make the product better — the packaging allows the RAM to be significantly faster than otherwise. It’s a major reason why the M-series CPU and GPU performs so well. It’s the same reason why you don’t see slotted RA…

Agree that it does make the product better, though if they put their RAM chips soldered on the board instead of in package, it would allow repair or upgrade without sacrificing the whole CPU unit. GPUs do not put their RAM in the same package as the processor itself, and it does not sacrifice a significant amount of performance. The M-series processors' primary benefit by a huge margin is its architecture that allows…

> GPUs do not put their RAM in the same package as the processor itself

What I said: It’s the same reason why you don’t see slotted RAM on GPUs.

What matters in GPUs is predictable distances with direct soldered connections, hence why RAM chips always surround the main chip.

Re: No More Storage Limits: M.2 Adapter for Apple's M1 MacBooks [video]

#23

Post by simondotau »

pathartl wrote: post #18
simondotau wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, the storage is worse, because there’s no reason why they couldn’t include a standard 2230 M.2 slot on all their motherboards, for anyone who wanted to upgrade. The fixed RAM is annoying, but is done to make the product better — the packaging allows the RAM to be significantly faster than otherwise. It’s a major reason why the M-series CPU and GPU performs so well. It’s the same reason why you don’t see slotted RA…

I think when they moved to the M series they had trouble providing enough PCIe lanes. Not that I ever really trust Apple to ever offer non-proprietary storage again, but moving the storage controller to the SoC probably avoids any PCIe support they'd have to think about.

Moving the storage controller to the SoC makes sense for Apple because they already did the work for iPhone/iPad, and it reduces part count. Having no upgradeable parts inside probably also reduces failure rates. It's not the trade people here would make, of course.

Re: No More Storage Limits: M.2 Adapter for Apple's M1 MacBooks [video]

#25

Post by jdboyd »

dlevine wrote: post #5

This is super impressive! It's a cool POC, although it is already clear that it would be feasible for Apple to put M.2 slots in Macbooks if they wanted to. I wonder how much it would cost to have someone replace the BGA NAND chips in my Macbook. Apple charges $6-800 for a 2TB upgrade for a Macbook (depending on whether it's a 250 or 500GB drive originally). Someone would have to be able to do it for like $2-300 for i…

There are already people doing M1 (and newer) flash upgrades by de-soldering the old flash chips and putting in new ones. I don't know the price, but potentially this kit could take out some of the steps and special hardware (involving USB flash adapters and a separate PC) required to do the job (by have the removable part already configured), and while it won't reduce the difficulty in removing the old chips without damaging the motherboard, potentially it could be easier to solder in place than the new flash chips (although I'd call that a big maybe). I'll be waiting until I see someone else using the kit before getting to excited though.

What I'm immediately looking forward to is someone making after market flash modules for the M4 mini, which uses a proprietary card format similar (but not compatible) with the Mac Studio (which does have after market cards available now).

Re: No More Storage Limits: M.2 Adapter for Apple's M1 MacBooks [video]

#26

Post by fourfour3 »

jdboyd wrote: post #24
fourfour3 wrote: post #3

Worth noting - this is not a m.2 adapter, you couldn't use it to attach standard drives. This is an adapter for fitting proprietary flash cards with NAND on.

The follow up video does note that.

The video is fine, the title doesn’t mention m.2 at all :)

Re: No More Storage Limits: M.2 Adapter for Apple's M1 MacBooks [video]

#27

Post by godelski »

gtvwill wrote: post #21
godelski wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They just need to have a good enough reputation to make sure environmentally-conscious people don't boycott their products. And what do you think happens when people spread messages like mine? Change the tides and they follow. It isn't futile because as you said, they need enough reputation. They don't want the negative effect on their bottom line. So maybe instead of "correcting" me, push it too. They seem to bene…

Lol you talk the talk but don't walk the walk. You said it yourself, you might tell people they aren't green but you still mostly use their products. This is what most folks do. They say their all for the green movement, but they don't actually live up to it and try and brush the action side off to someone else. It's like nimbyism but for tech. What's more important? Your perceived personal privacy benefits or the fu…

I get how you might think that from the comment but I think you’re too quick to judge. I’ve salvaged many computers and it’s how “I got into the game” per say. Learning Linux because all I had was a machine others threw in the trash. I do a lot of free repair for friends and friends of friends. I lend my tools and teach others my skills. I still repurpose many machines. And what can’t be saved becomes parts. My old phones still live lives. And while Apple machines are getting harder to repurpose that doesn’t mean they aren’t ewaste, but yes, it takes more time. But they also still tend to last longer, though that’s changing (though I’ve already seen methods to upgrade the M series machines). I assure you, by backyard has taken a hit for my values.

Is it unfortunate that I have to balance more than one thing? Yes. The fuck do you think I’m complaining about. And yes, I want to reduce the amount of tracking a mega corp does on me and then uses to try to manipulate me into buying more junk that I don’t want. To use that data to manipulate me to vote for people I do not want, who push policies against my interests.

But do not think my efforts on that end are fruitless. The trades aren’t for nothing. There is real ground you can make there. But it is a complicated space.

Here’s the cold hard truth. When it comes to stuff like this, you’ll be able to accuse everyone of being a hypocrite. The environment is such that there’s no optimal choice. You’ll always find a reason someone is not a true Scotsman, but maybe that’s because a true Scotland doesn’t exist. But that doesn’t mean we can’t try to make it.

So shut up and lend a hand if you care. Help us become truer. If not, I don’t see how you aren’t just perpetuating the state of things now. If you only see black and white, if you can’t see the difference between being malicious and being tarnished, then I fail to see how you are not malicious yourself. Surely you too are not without fault, have never had to make choices.

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